How to block adult websites and other pages from iOS 7 Safari

If you have children with iPhones, iPod touches, or iPads, or who frequently use yours, and you want to control the type of content they can access when browsing the web in Safari, you're in luck - iOS 7 lets you do just that. Whether you want to try an automatically limit all adult content to prevent a child from accidentally hitting a link they shouldn't, blacklist specific websites, or shut off all sites except for the ones you specifically whitelist, you'll find everything you need right in Settings and Restrictions. Here's how to set up your parental controls!

How to blacklist specific content or sites in iOS 7 Safari

If you're not overly worried and just want to try and prevent your kids from hitting links that take them to adult material, or there are only a few sites you want to make sure they never land on, you can use the automatic settings, and the blacklist feature.

Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.

Tap on General.

Enable Restrictions and set a passcode if Restrictions aren't already enabled.

Under Allowed Content, tap on Websites.

Now tap on Limit Adult Content under the Allowed Websites section. That will automatically block many (but not all - they change too quickly - adult websites. To block specific websites:

Tap on Add a Website... under the Never Allow section.

Type in the full URL of the website you'd like to block and tap Done on the keyboard.

Repeat this process for each site you'd like to block access to. Keep in mind that if certain websites have mobile sites, you may need to block them separately. For instance, to block CrackBerry completely, you would need to block www.crackberry.com, m.crackberry.com, and t.crackberry.com since they have specified sites for tablets, smartphones, and full blown browsers.

If you find a site not blocking after enter its URL, go to that site and look in the Address Bar in Safari to make sure you're blocking the correct URL. Copy it if you need to and paste it into restrictions.

How to block everything and whitelist only specific sites in Safari for iOS 7

For very young children, or if you simply want to make sure nothing is accessible except what you specifically allow, you can disable everything and then only turn back on the sites you consider absolutely permissible. (Like Apple or Disney).

Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.

Tap on General.

Enable Restrictions and set a passcode if Restrictions aren't already enabled.

Under Allowed Content, tap on Websites.

Under Allowed Websites, tap on Specifci Websites Only. Apple pre-populates the allowed website list with their own defaults. To add more:

Tap on Add a Website... at the very bottom of the list.

Type in the full URL of the website you'd like to block and tap Done on the keyboard.

As with the blacklist, you might need to add variations, such as mobile versions, if a site has iPhone or iPad-specific URLs.